BBC NEWS, Nov. 12 — A
bishop of the Church of England wrote that “(it may) in some circumstances be
right to choose to withhold or withdraw treatment (from a newborn baby),
knowing it will possibly, probably, or even certainly result in death,” BBC
News reported.

According to the
Nov. 12 edition of the British newspaper The
Observer, Bishop Tom Butler of Southwark added,
“There may be occasions where, for a Christian, compassion will override the
‘rule’ that life should inevitably be preserved. Disproportionate treatment for
the sake of prolonging life is an example of this.”

Butler submitted his
assertions to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which had been seeking
submissions into critical care in fetal and neonatal medicine. The report,
looking at the ethical, social and legal issues that may arise when making
decisions surrounding treating extremely premature babies, was to have been published
by the council Nov. 16.

Earlier this month,
Britain’s
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called for a debate on whether
deliberate medical intervention to cause the death of severely disabled newborn
babies should be legalized.

South Africa Parliament Okays Same-Sex
‘Marriage’

BREITBART.COM, Nov. 14 — The
South African parliament approved new legislation recognizing homosexual
“marriage,” a first for a continent where homosexuality is largely taboo, the
website reported.

The National Assembly
passed the Civil Union Bill, worked out after months of heated public
discussion, by a vote of 230-41, despite criticism from both traditionalist
marriage supporters and homosexual activists and warnings that it might be
unconstitutional. There were three abstentions.

The bill provides
for the “voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnized and registered by
either a marriage or civil union.” It does not specify whether they are
heterosexual or homosexual partnerships. But it also says marriage officers
need not perform a ceremony between same-sex couples if doing so would conflict
with his or her “conscience, religion and belief.”

The bill had been
expected to pass given the overwhelming majority of the ruling African National
Congress, despite unease among rank and file lawmakers. It now has to go to the
National Council of Provinces, which is expected to be a formality, before
being signed into law by President Thabo Mbeki.

Portugal: Law Will Change Only With
Voter Approval

INTERNATIONAL
HERALD TRIBUNE, Nov. 12 — Portuguese Prime
Minister Jose Socrates said the country will only ease its abortion laws if
Portuguese voters call for such a change in an upcoming referendum, reported
the European newspaper.

Portugal is one of Europe’s most pro-life countries, allowing abortion only
until the 12th week of pregnancy, and only if a woman has been raped, her
health is in danger or the unborn child is malformed.

President Anibal Cavaco Silva was expected
to call a referendum by January 2007 to ask voters if they agreed with
legalizing abortion for all women until the 10th week of pregnancy. The
Socialist-led government, with a majority in parliament, does not need the
referendum to pass the bill, but the prime minister insisted public approval
was necessary.

“We will only pass this law if the ‘Yes’
gets more votes than the ‘No’,” Socrates said. “We only need one vote, but we
need it to do it.” He reaffirmed his party’s support for the bill, and said he
personally would vote ‘Yes.’